


Protect and Learn

by SharonSharpe



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 09:08:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24468496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharonSharpe/pseuds/SharonSharpe
Summary: Sara Lance is an up and coming Lieutenant at SCPD. Ava is a teacher on the fast track to be teacher of the year. A series of seemingly coincidental events will change their lives forever.
Relationships: Gideon/Rip Hunter, Nate Heywood/Amaya Jiwe, Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe
Comments: 35
Kudos: 215





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a teacher/police officer AU. I saw a lot of people post about it on Tumblr, and I hope I can do it justice.

Five minutes. Five gloriously silent minutes before the day would erupt into the controlled chaos she had become accustomed to. Ava leaned back against the soft leather of her desk chair, a sigh blew past her lips as she tipped her coffee mug finishing the last drops of the perfectly hot cup she had made that morning. As the final seconds ticked down she turned on the welcome music and fixed her blazer. She made her way out to the hallway, smiling politely at Mr. Heywood whose room was across from hers. The trill of the bell filled her ears and with it the first wave of students made their way down the hall.

The students voice soon became a cacophony of noise that echoed off the concrete walls; that along with the slam and click of lockers made the soundtrack of her morning. Being at the end of the hall had it’s advantages. No one bothered you at the end of the hall, and anyone that came down that far had purpose in coming.

“Good morning Ms. Sharpe,” Kara, her star pupil said as she stopped to say goodbye to her girlfriend Lena who was in Heywood’s class.

Both Ava and Nate turned their heads so they technically didn’t see the quick kiss that happened as the two students departed. Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor were in an ongoing battle for valedictorian of their class, so no one was surprised when the two rivals started dating. More students began to trickle in, all of them smiled and greeted Ava as they made their way into the classroom. Across the hall, Nate and each student shared an elaborate handshake before they entered. Sometimes she would overhear the students calling her stuffy, but she knew they loved her just as much as she loved them.

“Today is going to be awesome!” a few students yelled as they sprinted down the hallway past Ava’s classroom.

“No running,” Ava chastised.

“Sorry Ms. Sharpe.”

“Oh Aves, lighten up,” Nate teased, “assemblies aren’t that bad. Let them be excited.”

“Rules are rules. Mr. Heywood.”

Nate laughed and put up his hands in defense.

A few minutes later the bell sounded and Ava walked into her classroom where to her delight nearly everyone was completing their bellringer. She made her way around the tables of students before going back to her desk to take attendance. Days like today were always exciting for the students but more of a headache for the teachers. The principal had scheduled an all school assembly for that morning which meant that her entire first period would be spent supervising students who didn’t want to be at the assembly any more than she did. She understood the need for the assembly though. There had been a rash of kidnappings in recent weeks and the Star City PD wanted to share helpful tips for everyone to stay safe. As important as the assembly was she knew the students would be difficult for any speaker to keep engaged.

“Ms. Sharpe, can I share my bellringer first?” Kara asked.

“Of course, Kara. Go ahead.” Ava nodded giving her the floor.

This was her fifth year teaching Government at Star City High School. She had seen her share of students walk through these halls, and heard every opinion imaginable on subjects of control. This week they were learning about civic participation. The students were tasked with writing on examples of the ideal. Of course the main thing on their mind were the kidnappings and their duty to look out for their younger siblings, since the last victim as a 2nd grader.

“Attention students and teachers, please report to the auditorium for the assembly,” the receptionist’s voice resounded over the intercom.

Everyone stood and gathered their bags as the exited the room and made their way to the auditorium. Ava followed closely behind her class, ensuring that none of them wandered off to hide until the assembly was over. Her class merged with the other teachers near the auditorium before going inside to find seats.

When Ava entered the room, her gaze immediately searched for her friend Ms. Zari Tomaz, the computer science teacher. She found her leaning against the back wall alongside her brother Behrad, the P.E coach finishing a donut.

“Tomaz,” Ava smiled, making her way over to her friend.

“So Sharpe, my brother and I have bets going on how long this speaker will hold their attention. I say five minutes.” Zari mumbled through a mouthful of icing.

“I say three. It’s an informative assembly. I’ve already checked out,” Behrad yawned.

“Depends on the speaker,” Ava shrugged, “I say seven.”

Zari nodded in agreement as she finished off the donut. Ava joined them against the wall as the seats began to fill. All of the students tried to sit back as far possible, but they had to make sure the back two rows were saved for staff. Behrad suddenly pushed off the wall and stood up straight which they knew meant Principal Hunter was approaching. Alongside Hunter were two uniformed officers.

“Ms. Sharpe, just the woman I was looking for,” he said, making his way over to them.

“We’re going to sit,” Zari whispered moving to sit in the seats just in front of them.

Ava put on her best smile and shook hands with the two officers. One was a gray-haired man with a sly smile who looked like he would rather be anywhere but in this auditorium. The other was a much smaller blonde officer with the bluest eyes Ava had ever seen.

“Ms. Sharpe is our government teacher,” Hunter explained, “this is Corporal Snart and Lieutenant Lance from STPD.”

“Government teacher. Hmm. I didn’t have teacher like you in high school,” Officer Snart smiled.

Lieutenant Lance punched him hard in the arm, making the man wince slightly. She threw a glare in his direction and he walked a few feet away.

“Sorry about him. What Leonard lacks in tact he makes up for in dedication.”

“Pleasure to meet you lieutenant.” Ava smiled, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“Sara.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sara. My name is Sara. Lieutenant Sara Lance,” she stammered.

Ava nodded once before joining Zari and Behrad in the seats. Behind her Sara adjusted her jacket and walked over to Leo who was smirking at her.

“Smooth,” he teased.

“Shutup,” Sara hissed, punching him in the arm again as they made their way backstage.

Behrad leaned forward in his seat, his gaze locking with Ava as he waggled his eyebrows. Zari shared a knowing smile with her brother before turning towards Ava as well. Ava was busy looking a the group of students excitedly talking to Mr. Mick Rory, the English teacher. The gruff looking man was a favorite among students, and a well known author in the literary world. It wasn’t until Behrad cleared his throat that she noticed them staring.

“Yes?” Ava questioned.

“Oh come on. She was obviously flirting with you,” Zari scoffed.

“The lieutenant? She was just being nice.”

“You mean Sara,” Behrad mimicked the smaller blonde as he batted his eyelashes.

Ava frowned and turned her attention to the stage where Principal Hunter was taking the stage. A hush fell over the room as he took the podium and began to speak.

“Good morning Star City High!” he cheered.

A series of uninterested mumbles was his only answer. Zari motioned to her watch showing that was starting a stopwatch. Behrad stifled down the laugh that threatened to come out as Nate mimicked Hunter’s speech that all of them had committed to memory. He started off every assembly the same with a speech about the importance of being a good audience. Ava’s gaze drifted over the room of students making sure they were at least pretending to be attentive. From the corner of her eye she saw the officers make their way onto the stage. Despite her best efforts she couldn’t stop the hitch in her breath.

“Good morning. My name is Corporal Leo Snart, but you may refer to be as Corporal Cold. I am joined this morning Lieutenant Lance. We are here to teach all of you a few helpful tricks to keep you and your family safe,” he smiled, his eyes showing his disdain for the current assignment.

Next to him Lieutenant Lance was now dressed in workout gear. There was nothing particularly special about the outfit: uniform pants and a t-shirt. Ava on the other hand couldn’t stop herself from zeroing in the outrageously toned arms framed by the cuffed sleeves of the t-shirt. Snapping herself out of it, she leaned back in her seat, focusing on the speech that had obviously been written for Leonard. The kids all began to yawn and attempt to talk quietly.

“Good morning Star City High!” Sara cheered as she performed a series of backflips to reach the middle of the stage.

The hush fell over the crown again as everyone’s attention was turned to the lieutenant. Sara’s smiled entranced them all as she began briefly explaining the goal of their visit today was not only to share tips but to provide a self-defense presentation as well. She motioned for Rory to join her onstage, which instantly got all of the student’s attention. Once he was on stage she explained that Rory would be assisting her by showing that even someone without training can perform these moves. Leo joined her in the middle of the stage to pretend to be the attacker. Rory nodded to her as she began to explain her first move. They went through a series of basic blocks that anyone could do.

“The goal of these moves is to knock your opponent off balance enough that you can run away and get further help,” she explained as she moved through the motions again.

Everyone in the auditorium was fascinated by Sara. Ava smirked, she was sure most of them had no idea what she was saying and was focused on the defense techniques. After about five minutes Sara allowed Rory to execute the moves on his own. All of the students cheered on their teacher as he

“Now, if you train for many years you might be able to do something like this,” Sara smiled before turning her attention fully to Leo.

Unlike the times before when they were simply going through the motions of movements very slowly, Leo lunged at Sara with full speed. She sidestepped his attack, driving her heel into his foot with enough force to make him stumble before stepping forward and flipping him over her shoulder. He crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, the answering chorus of _OHHHH_ echoed around the room. `Leo launched to his feet and attacked again. This time Sara scaled him like a spider monkey and brought him crashing to the ground. The students erupted in cheers as Sara helped Leo to his feet and took a bow. Ava was transfixed by the woman in front of her. There had never been a speaker that held the student’s attention like that, except for the magician who visited last year.

“Thank you so much and stay safe everyone.” Sara smiled.

Next to Ava, Zari let out a loud yawn as she stretched and stood up to help usher the students back to their classrooms. Ava joined her just outside the doors, making sure that everyone was headed to their second period. Second period was Ava’s planning so she had a little time to kill before she needed to meet with the rest of the history department. Suddenly, Zari’s gaze connected with Ava and she smirked.

“What?” Ava frowned.

“You’ll see.”

Students were still making their way out of the auditorium and Ava didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Zari however was still smirking and obviously trying to contain her laughter. It was then that Ava heard it.

“I wish you could come speak to our government class,” a younger voice said from inside the auditorium.

Ava paled, immediately recognizing the voice of Autumn Fields. Autumn had been instrumental in the numerous plots to set Ava up with different faculty members. Ava cringed remembering the time the girl had convinced nearly everyone that she and Behrad would make the perfect couple. That was until she found out that Ava was a lesbian. She then turned her attentions to matchmaking Ava and Zari. Unlike Ava, Zari found it impossibly funny. Right now Autumn was talking to Sara, a suspicious look on her face. Leo was right next to them, his expression obviously amused by the teens actions. They stopped just short of Ava when she heard it.

“Ms. Sharpe is a really great teacher. She’s even the sponsor for our GSA,” Autumn laughed.

“Is that right?” Sara smiled, her gaze locking with Ava’s momentarily.

“Autumn, I think you should head to class now,” Ava responded through gritted teeth.

“Yes ma’am. Thanks for talking to me Sara.”

Sara waved as the girl walked away and down the hall. Immediately after, she made eye contact with Ava. Ava tried to contain the deep flush that crept across her cheeks. Leonard put his hat back on and shared a questioning glance with Zari.

“I’m sorry about Autumn,” Ava finally blurted out.

“It’s okay. She’s very,” Sara’s gaze flitted down Ava’s body and back up again, “perceptive.”

“Now that was smooth,” Leonard whispered.

Sara’s fist swung back to his him in the gut. He covered the wince with a laugh and after saying goodbye to Zari headed outside.

“I would be more than happy to come and speak to your class if you wanted. The kids all seemed interested,” Sara said nervously fumbling with the hat in her hands.

Before Ava could speak, Sara’s radio chirped to life. She could tell by the look on the smaller blonde’s face that it was an important call.

“Principal Hunter has your contact information.” Ava nodded.

Sara paused for just a moment more as if she wanted to say something, but stopped herself. She nodded and sprinted off to join Leo outside. Ava let out a breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding, which only awarded her laughter from Zari. She ignored her friend and made her way back to her room to collect her things for the department meeting.

After the excitement of the assembly the rest of the day seemed to drag along for everyone. By the time the final class of the day arrived, Ava wanted nothing more than to go home and relax with a glass of wine. Unfortunately, Autumn was in her last period class and spent the entire time talking about Officer Lance. Ava had to admit that the woman was gorgeous but she hadn’t been on a date for months, not since the Upswipes disaster. Needless to say when the bell finally rang to end the school day Ava quickly packed up her things and headed to her car. Normally she would stay after for an hour or so, but today had been particularly stressful.

When she reached the car, she froze, fear and aggravation settling into her body. After a few minutes of searching, she accepted her fate and looked in the window. There on the seat of her car were her keys. Begrudgingly Ava pulled out her phone and called for assistance. They informed her the closest officer was 10 minutes away. After hanging up Ava hoisted herself on the hood of her car to sit and wait. She could have gone inside but being outside in the fresh air was nice. Around her the sounds of various practices and students talking filled the air. The football team was having an amazing season so far and she made a mental note to attend the game that Friday. Star City High hadn’t been the first place she considered when looking for a school but the people there had quickly made it feel like home.

On her first day the students had been rough, but she expected nothing less. All of them were just trying to see how far they could push the new teacher. Zari had been her saving grace as the other new teacher and the more laid back between the two of them. By this point the other faculty members called them ying and yang. Ava’s gaze drifted over the multicolored window in the center of the school. It had been installed three years ago as the parting gift from the GSA seniors. It was also the first time that the entire school knew that she was a lesbian. From the time she had arrived in Star City she had tried to keep her personal and professional life separate but things had a way of spilling over.

She was still lost in thought when the sound of a car pulling into the parking lot caught her attention.

“If you wanted my number you could have asked earlier,” Sara’s voice teased from behind her.

Ava turned around quickly, nearly falling off the hood of her car, but managed to make her descent seem somewhat graceful. Unlike earlier, Sara was now dressed in her standard uniform without the jacket. The sleeves of her uniform fit snug around the toned lines of her arms, and Ava couldn’t resist staring for a moment. As if she knew what the taller blonde was doing, Sara reached up to take off her hat, and put it onto the front seat of her car.

“Thank you for coming,” Ava began, finally finding her voice, “I don’t know how I didn’t notice earlier.”

“It’s okay. Happens all the time.” Sara smiled as she made her way over to the driver window.

Ava searched her brain for anything to say while Sara worked to rescue her keys, but the only thing that came to mind was Autumn and a few other GSA students asking if she was going to talk to the lady cop again. Thankfully Sara broke the silence for them.

“GSA sponsor. That’s amazing. I wish they had that when I was a kid. Probably would have helped me accept myself sooner,” Sara mumbled, working to get the tool in between the window.

“No kidding. I didn’t accept that I liked women until my senior year and it would have been nice to have some support.”

Sara tried to contain the intrigue that rippled through her brain. She already suspected that Ava liked women, but having the taller blonde confirm it was a gamechanger. Her gaze focused on the thin line of skin showing now that Ava had unbuttoned the top of her shirt. Sara had been intrigued by the taller blonde from the moment they met that morning. Leonard was right. Ava was beautiful, smart, and as far as Sara could tell all the students loved her. Currently, the gorgeous tall blonde was shifting nervously on her feet, trying to disguise her quick glances in Sara’s direction. Sara decided to put her out of her misery and popped over the door.

“There you go.” Sara smiled.

“Thank you. I really appreciate your help. I’m so ready to go home and get a glass of wine,” Ava laughed.

“Well,” Sara started, psyching herself up to continue, “if you would like to grab a glass with me sometime, or if you lock your keys in the car again. Give me a call.”

Sara pulled a business card from her pocket and turned it over to write her cell number on the back. She handed it to Ava who simply stared at her in shock.

“Right. Maybe,” Ava blushed.

Sara smiled politely and walked away, resisting the urge to turn and see Ava’s expression. If she had she would have seen the curious smile on the teacher’s face as she slid behind the wheel of her car.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Under the Friday Night Lights anything can happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: one of the incidents in this chapter is based on a real life event.

Friday arrived faster than Ava had hoped. Before she knew it she the final bell of the day was ringing and the students were fleeing her class for the weekend. Unlike other Fridays Ava wasn’t melding further with her couch while she binge watched Worst Witch on Netflix, instead she packed her bag with the intent to return for the football game later that night. To say that Ava hated football wasn’t an accurate statement. It’s just if given the chance she preferred soccer or even softball, but the starting quarterback was in her class and had practically begged her to come to the game. This was the reason that Ava rushed home for a quick shower and change before heading back out to eat dinner with her colleagues before the game.

When Ava arrived at Whiskey Blues the rest of her friends were already there and halfway through a basket of chili cheese fries.

“There she is!” Nate shouted, throwing his hands up to beckon her over.

He was sitting at a table with Zari, Behrad, Mick, Charlie who taught mythology. She made her way over to the table and took the last available seat next to Zari. Whiskey Blues was the hangout spot for everyone before gameday. The entire place was filled with teachers, parents, and teens stuffing their faces full of BBQ before heading down the street to the stadium. It wasn’t Ava’s favorite place but the owners Sam and Muriell were nice. The downside was that they were always curious about the personal lives of their patrons. I guess it was no surprise that their daughter Autumn was no different.

“Of all the places you had to pick here,” Ava shook her head.

“It’s tradition. Besides I know how much you love their fries,” Zari trilled sliding the basket of fries in front of Ava.

Ava rolled her eyes, but couldn’t resist the cheesy goodness in front of her. Nate and Charlie were watching a video on Nate’s phone. Mick was explaining to Behrad the details of his latest romance novel. Ava allowed herself to relax and talk with Zari as they finished off the cheese fries and ordered a round of beers.

“So spill it, Sharpe. Did you call her yet?” Zari whispered loudly enough for the entire table to hear.

“No.” Ava almost choked on the fries in her mouth.

Since the other day in the parking lot, the only people who knew about her getting Sara’s number were the Tomazs. She had wanted to keep interaction as quiet as possible, but now the entire table knew. Zari didn’t mean any harm by asking her, but she knew that if would force her friend to talk about something she had been avoiding since the initial conversation.

“Call who?” Charlie asked, the video Nate was showing her forgotten for the moment.

Everyone sat waiting for her response. After sending a glare in Zari’s direction, Ava sat up in her chair.

“The other day I locked my keys in the car and Officer Lance assisted me in retrieving them.” She explained simply.

“And…” Zari nudged.

“And…she gave me her number.” Ava mumbled.

“Okay Aves.” Nate cheered, leaning across the table for a high five.

“For emergencies.”

“Yeah. Wine emergencies,” Zari laughed.

The entire table cheered and asked Ava for more details. The truth was that she hadn’t really thought about it much. Dating hadn’t worked out for Ava a lot in the past. She had gone on a string of bad dates courtesy of Upswipes. None of them were who they seemed online and she still cringed when she remembered the mozzarella stick fiasco.

“I haven’t called and I’ll probably never see her again. Can we move on?” Ava sighed.

“Yeah. Leave her alone. Love is complicated,” Mick grunted.

Ava was surprised by Mick sometimes. He had a very gruff exterior but deep down he was a softy. It was actually Mick who had talked her through a few bad dates. His daughter Lita was in Ava’s class and her love for her father was evident. Sitting across from him now she was grateful for his gruff exterior that left no room for question. They finished their drinks and all left together to the stadium.

Star City High’s stadium was state of the art. It had been recently renovated due to a generous donation from Palmer technologies. As they entered the stadium they were greeted by the excited chatter of dozens of kids running around. Middle schoolers in their jerseys were playing a game of football near the gate at the endzone. Ava followed behind Zari to the faculty section. As they passed, a few students stopped them to say hi and asked if they wanted to sit in the student section with them. Ava politely declined but promised that she would at a different game.

They arrived at their seats just in time for kickoff. Tonight they were playing against Metropolis High, and everyone was on pins and needles to see Kara’s cousin play. They settled into their seats next to each other and talked among themselves. As halftime approached Star City was up by a touchdown and Ava desperately needed to stretch her legs.

“I’ll be back in a few,” she whispered to Zari as she stood up.

“Hurry back. The band will be playing in a few.”

Ava made her way up the steps toward the concession stand. Tonight the concessions were being run by the chorus teachers Gary and Mona. An exasperated sigh blew past her lips at the thought of interacting with them. They were kind, but their energy was exhausting. The other thing that Ava hated about football games was the unbearable heat that plagued Star City at night, that was only amped up by the massive light towers that illuminated the field. Palmer technologies had installed misting stations at various points around the stadium’s edge but the teens had deemed the towers their hangout spots. Even now she recognized several of her students hanging around the nearest tower as she did her best to avoid eye contact.

“Fancy seeing you here.” A voice that Ava immediately recognized came from behind her.

She turned to see Lieutenant Lance smirking with her arms folded over her chest. Ava could have sworn the woman flexed a little.

“Lieutenant. I would have thought they needed you somewhere more important.” Ava teased.

“On the contrary Ms. Sharpe, community outreach is crucial, especially now,” Sara teased, frowning as if offended, “also I may have switched with someone.”

Laughter burst forth from Ava’s mouth before she could contain it. She slapped her hand over her mouth immediately after to cover the smile on her face. Sara’s cheeks were bright red as she tried not to make eye contact with the taller blonde. The truth was she had switched with Leonard to get the chance to cover the game. Honestly she hadn’t expected to see Ava at all but the possibility was enough. Sara’s eyes skimmed over the taller blonde’s outfit. Unlike the button down and blazer combo she was wearing when they first met she was wearing jeans and a school t-shirt. A smile crept to Sara’s face when she saw the school’s logo in the colors of the Pride flag. Despite being in relaxed clothes, she could tell Ava was anything but relaxed. Even here at a football game she was maintaining an image of being in complete control and authority.

“Oh my god!” Autumn’s shrill cry broke both of them out of their thoughts.

The teen was with a few of her friends a massive bag of popcorn being passed between them.

“Autumn, right?” Sara quizzed.

“Yep. Are you two on a date?”

The entire group of teens waited expectantly for an answer. Ava pinched the bridge of her nose.

“No, I’m waiting in line and Officer Lance is working.” Ava said, trying to keep her body language as comfortable as possible.

“I haven’t had a chance to ask her yet Autumn. Shhh,” Sara teased, shooing the teens away with a flick of her hand.

They all sprinted away, giggling and looking back over their shoulders. Ava was grateful for the slight darkness where Sara couldn’t see her cheeks. Instead she turned her attention back to the line that had moved forward. She steadied herself and stepped up to the concession stand.

“Ms. Sharpe you look stunning as always,” Gary beamed brightly as he leaned against his hands and stared up at her.

“Hello, Gary. Mona,” Ava waved to the woman currently making a funnel cake, “can I get some popcorn please?”

“Right away,” Gary said spinning away from the counter and coming back with a bag overflowing with popcorn, “I put extra butter just the way you like it.”

Ava paid him and was about to walk away when Gary reached out and tapped her arm. She turned to see him staring up into her eyes. He had a habit of fawning after her like a love sick puppy at times. Personally Ava thought he had a kink but who was she to judge.

“Yes?” Ava quirked an eyebrow.

“Nothing. Have a good night,” he stammered.

When Ava stepped away from the stand Sara was waiting for her, obviously holding back laughter. Ava held out the bag of popcorn for Sara to take some. The smaller blonde took a few pieces and popped them into her mouth.

“Whoa. Do you want some popcorn with that butter?” Sara teased, taking the napkin Ava offered her.

“Be honest with yourself the butter is the best part.” Ava laughed shoving a handful into her mouth.

“That man loves you. He knows you like women right?”

“Yes. Gary and I started at the same time. It’s complicated. He’s like a clingy little brother to me.”

Sara’s gaze went over to the concession stand where both Mona and Gary were staring at them talking. When their gazes locked, they turned away quickly, scattering bags of candy across the counter in the process. She waved at them and they both awkwardly waved back. Ava shook her head and began walking away towards the stands. Sara jogged to catch up to her easily falling into stride with the taller blonde. The beginning chords of the marching band began to play and Ava found a spot along the top of bank to watch the performance. Sara leaned against the railing with her and snagged a few more kernels from the bag.

“I thought you didn’t like it.”

“I had to commandeer it on behalf of SCPD.”

The laugh that spilled from Ava’s lips caressed Sara’s ears and in that moment she vowed to try and hear that sound as often as possible. Ava’s gaze was focused on the students out on the field. Pride shown in her eyes as she watched the student’s spelling out SCHS as they marched, she remembered them complaining that it was hard. Below them a few students were passing around a bottle of baby powder. It was customary for the students to thrown baby powder into the air after a touchdown and it looked like they were going to do the same in support of their friends in band.

“Did they ever do anything like that at your school?” Ava asked, laughing as the kids cupped their hands in preparation for the fight song.

“Well I’m a SCHS alumni so yes. My class actually started the trend.” Sara said proudly.

“Why? It’s so messy.”

“It started as a prank. I was a bit of a troublemaker.”

“Really? Lieutenant Lance, the most decorated officer on the force, a troublemaker.”

“You googled me?” Sara teased, raising her eyebrows.

“I did a little research. Don’t change the subject. Troublemaker turned cop.”

“Will you kids stop with that damn baby powder!” a shout rose from the seats next to the student section.

Sara’s attention was drawn in that direction as she stood up straighter, her gaze going to a gentlemen wearing a white cap making his way over to the student section. Another older gentlemen was making his way down towards the student section as well. One of the other officers on duty at the game was already making their way over as well.

“What can I say? I served a detention or twenty,” Sara replied, but her attention was still on the two men.

“What changed?” Ava asked, following Sara’s gaze as well.

The two men were now next to each other in the student section. A student holding a bottle of baby powder stood next to them as well.

“Don’t you tell my son what to do!” the older gentlemen yelled.

“My dad was on the force. He” Sara didn’t finish what she was saying as she bolted down the steps toward the students section.

Everything seemed to slow down as Ava watched the older gentlemen take a handful of baby powder from his son and slap the man in the face. A cloud of baby powder filled the air as students all threw their hands in the air as the brawl started. The officer who was closest tried to separate the two men but only succeeded in getting punched in the face. He stumbled backward falling over the bleachers and fell onto his back. The student holding the baby powder continued throwing it in the air even as Sara arrived in the fray. She shoved herself in between the two men and pushed hard against both of their chests, holding them apart by their shirts. Ava chastised herself for focusing on the way the woman’s muscles rippled as she held them away. The other officer recovered and took control over the smaller of the two men as Sara put the older gentlemen’s hands behind his back and slapped on handcuffs. She escorted him up the stairs as the other officer did the same with the other man. Ava watched as they escorted the men off the bleachers and out of the stadium and uncuffed them. Curiosity won over and Ava walked closer to the gate to hear what Sara was saying.

“Now go sit in your cars and I don’t want to see your faces inside the stadium again,” Sara ordered.

“But officer, my son is on varsity this year,” the younger gentlemen in the white cap pleaded.

“You should have thought about that before you got in a fight. You could always spend the night in jail if you would like.”

Both men shared a final angry glare before stalking off to their cars. Sara returned alongside the other officer while knocking baby powder off of her clothes. She was pretty much covered in it from head to toe. When she made eye contact with Ava a smile crept onto her face.

“You know I’ve been covered in a lot of things before. Just last week I got drenched in glitter, it was a lot more fun.” Sara laughed.

“If you want I can let you into the school to wash up really quick.” Ava offered.

Sara’s mind raced with a thousand things she could say to tease Ava but she decided against it when she saw the sincerity in Ava’s gaze. Nodding, she let the other officers know where she was headed and walked out of the gates alongside Ava.

“One sec let me grab another shirt from my car,” Sara said, walking over to her cruiser and grabbing a bag from the trunk.

They walked together towards the school and Ava used her ID card to open the door. She led Sara down the darkened hall to the staff bathroom directly down from her room. Sara disappeared into the bathroom and Ava heard the water running. While Sara was in the bathroom Ava pulled out her phone and sent Zari a text so she wouldn’t worry.

**Ava: Hey Z. I’m safe and will be back in a few.**

**Zari: OMG! Is it true?**

**Ava: ???**

**Zari: A little birdie said you and a certain protector of the peace disappeared into the school.**

**Ava: Technically yes, but I just showed her the staff bathroom so she could clean up after the baby powder fight. I bet Hunter gets rid of that tradition now.**

**Zari: Don’t change the subject. You’re in the school alone with her. In the teacher’s lounge *purple devil emoji***

**Ava: Stop it. We’ll be back in a few.**

A little time later Sara emerged in just her pants and a tank top. Her hair was draped over her shoulder as she tried to get the powder out. Ava’s eyes traced along the line of her shoulders and arms as Sara gave up and redid the bun at the base of her head. She slipped into the extra shirt she pulled from her duffel bag. 

“Better?” Ava asked, swallowing past a lump in her throat.

“Yeah. Thank you,” Sara replied, buttoning up her shirt, and shoving it into her pants.

“You didn’t finish your sentence back there. Your dad is a cop too?”

“Yeah. He’s captain of the precinct. I had a rude awakening my senior year of high school. Since then I’ve been on the straight and narrow. I went to the academy a year after graduating high school.”

“Maybe you should come talk to my class.”

“I’d be more than happy to,” Sara said as she finished putting up her clothes, “listen…about Autumn. I’m really sorry about the date thing.”

“Wait. You mean you don’t want to ask me on a date?” Ava teased, as she brushed past Sara and out the door.

“No. I do. I just meant,” Sara stammered as she caught up to Ava.

Heat swarmed around them as they stepped out into the night. Ava made sure she stayed a few feet ahead of Sara as they walked back over to the stadium. She tried to pretend she wasn’t internally screaming. Had she just flirted with Sara?

_Get it together Sharpe._

As they approached the stadium gates, Ava made a quick decision. She turned and began walking towards her car. Sara threw her bag into her cruiser and ran after her.

“Hey. Wait. I’m sorry. I do want to ask you on a date. I just felt bad because I said it in front of your students.” Sara tried to explain, her words rushing out in a single breath.

“So you don’t want others to know you’re asking me out.” Ava frowned.

“No. I do. I would tell whoever you wanted,” Sara stammered, her mind racing trying to figure out where she had went wrong.

Ava turned and opened her car door. She could feel Sara’s gaze on her back. Laughter bubbled up in her throat and she turned to Sara once more.

“See you around Lieutenant,” Ava said lowering her voice and smirking slightly.

A huge smile spread across Sara’s face as she took a step back and Ava pulled away from the parking lot.

Later that night Sara stepped into her house, shrugged off her jacket and put up her service weapon. Just as she prepared to step into the shower her phone vibrated with a text from an unknown number.

**Unknown: I guess you’re not the only troublemaker. Dinner next Friday?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late night patrols and unfinished worksheets

Thursday night Ava found herself sitting at her dining room table surrounded by a mountain of worksheets that needed grading. This week they had worked on ethics and despite her and Nate’s discontent with worksheets they acquiesced to their current department head. Dr. Edwin Hawk was retiring at the end of the semester and Ava couldn’t wait. Dr. Hawk was nice enough but he had been teaching for so long and was stuck in his ways. She still remembered the day the students were mystified by his use of an overhead projector. It was Hawk’s affinity for worksheets and paper that landed Ava in her current predicament.

Ava leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head and indulging in the sound of her muscles relaxing. The mountain of graded work had gotten considerably smaller than when she originally began. She chanced a glance at the screen of her open laptop. It was 10:30 already? Ava groaned at the realization that she would be going to bed considerably later than usual on a school night. Taking a break from trying to decipher student handwriting she made her way out onto the balcony of her apartment. The city below her was still abuzz with activity, the cacophony of voices reaching her even on the top floor where she lived. A smile crept to her face when she realized that somewhere among that sea of people was Officer Lance.

Sara had made it a habit of texting her in the mornings when she came off her patrol. There had been another string of kidnappings occurring between 7 pm and 6 am. It was odd that no one could figure out how the kidnapper was getting into homes since there were no signs of forced entry. Sara had been moved to night patrol to assist detectives and hopefully stop the kidnapper before he could strike again. Ava settled into one of the cushioned chairs on the balcony and closed her eyes, indulging in the chaotic lullaby of the city.

An hour later she awoke to the sound of her phone buzzing on the table next to her. She groaned, wiping sleep from her eyes and squinted at the bright screen.

**Sara: I wish you were awake right now. I would love to have someone to talk to.**

**Ava: Your wish is my command.**

**Sara: *shocked emoji* Ava Sharpe awake after 11 pm on a school night!**

Ava rolled her eyes as she stood and made her way back inside. She put the graded papers into her bag and left the ungraded ones on the table, making a silent promise to wake up early and finish grading. Next she got ready for bed and finally pulled out her phone to text Sara when she was comfortable under the covers.

**Ava: You must really be bored.**

**Sara: I thought you fell asleep.**

**Ava: Not yet, I’m going to regret it in the morning.**

**Sara: I can let you go. We have a date tomorrow (technically today) remember *winking emoji***

Ava felt the rush of blood to her cheeks, but couldn’t contain her smile. She had been looking forward to the date all week, but she couldn’t deny that she was still nervous. Even now she couldn’t explain why she had asked the smaller blonde on a date out of the blue. Maybe it was the way that Sara was loved by her students even though they had only met her once. Zari chalked it up to Ava longing to get back in the dating scene which couldn’t be farther from the truth.

**Ava: I remember. You better not stand me up Lance.**

**Sara: I wouldn’t dream of it.**

**Ava: Good. Can I text you in the morning? If I don’t go to sleep now I don’t know how I’ll function tomorrow.**

**Sara: Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow/later today. Goodnight Ava.**

**Ava: G**

The rest of the text remained untyped as Ava drifted off into sleep, her phone clattering to the floor next to her bed.

Meanwhile, across town Sara Lance leaned her head back against the headrest of her cruiser. Late night patrols were her favorite, but she hadn’t had the opportunity as much as she liked since being promoted. Her father had taken her under his wing in an attempt to coach her to be captain. Honestly she was more interested in focusing on the detective aspect of her job. Late night patrols were her favorite because of the people she encountered. In the few times she had been assigned to the duty she had found the best taco truck in town, made connections with the local delivery men to keep her in the loop, and stopped a prostitution ring.

However, tonight had been unusually quiet. Thursday nights were the beginning of the weekend wilds as the force like to call it, or at least it used to be. Lately, Thursdays had been quiet and everyone knew why. For the past two months there had been a rash of kidnappings of kids of all ages. The most recent kidnappings had all come from the area near the hiking trails, which is what brought Sara to the neighborhood tonight. The streets were all lined with lampposts and aside from the occasional stray animal she hadn’t seen much action tonight.

Suddenly, the faint light of a flashlight emerged from the trail. Sara sat up straighter and focused on the light bobbing towards her. From her view she could tell it was a group of teens out way past curfew. She chuckled remembering the number of times she had been guilty of the same thing, but right now she was concerned for their safety. They all stopped in the middle of the road and most of them then climbed up trellises and into windows. Everyone was safely inside a home except for one girl. Sara started her cruiser and made her way down the street towards the teen who was walking in the opposite direction. When the girl turned to look over her shoulder she recognized the girl as Autumn. Laughing Sara pulled up next to her and stepped out of the car.

“Well what do we have here? You’re out way past curfew missy,” Sara teased, mustering up her best serious face.

“I…Officer Lance. I was…” Autumn stammered, her gaze darting around.

“It’s okay. Where do you live? Is it far?”

“A little but I walk there all the time. I live on Abernathy Street.”

“Nonsense, get in. I’ll take you home.”

“Am I being arrested?” Autumn’s eyes widened.

“No,” Sara laughed, “I just want to make sure you get home safe.”

Autumn smiled and raced around to the passenger side of the car. She slid into the front seat, her gaze darting around the interior. Sara slid into the driver’s seat and radioed to let them know where she was headed. She pulled onto the street and headed for Autumn’s house. The younger girl was still looking at all of the tech in the car.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what were you and your friends doing on the trail this late?” Sara asked, glancing over at Autumn.

“Nothing special.”

“Well that’s vague.”

“Maybe.”

“Are you excited for the game tomorrow?” Sara asked, dropping the subject for the moment.

“Yeah, but we have a stupid government test tomorrow so I probably won’t get to go,” Autumn huffed.

“What?” Sara frowned, confused.

“If I fail my government test my parents said that I can’t go to the game.”

“Maybe you should have been studying instead of on the trail.”

“Nah. I know that stuff, I don’t need to study, and Ms. Sharpe is a great teacher,” Autumn paused, “don’t tell her I said that.”

“Then why would you fail?”

“I fail on purpose sometimes.”

“Why?”

“To remind myself I can. It takes a lot of work to fail when you know you can pass. Besides I’ll probably get caught when I get home.”

Laugher burst from Sara’s lips unhindered. Autumn reminded her a lot of herself when she was a teenager. She had been just as vocal and just as rebellious. The current conversation revealed to Sara something that she knew from the moment she met the girl. There was passion and a need for knowledge that was evident in her every move but she tried to damper it. Sara had done the same thing, pretending to be something she wasn’t to make others comfortable. Autumn was currently staring at the cords running from behind the laptop in Sara’s car.

“Computers are you thing, huh?” Sara said, turning onto Abernathy.

The street was awash with lights from the lampposts just outside of each sprawling lawn. Each house boasted a bright blue florescent sign for Palmer security systems on the front lawn and a single blue light softly flickering outside the door. Palmer technologies only recently entered the security sector and very few houses had the technology installed. It seemed that there was more to the family that owned one of the best BBQ places in town.

“Yeah. My dad and Ray go way back so he helped us set up in here. I’ve been to his office a couple of times. He lets me help with programming sometimes.”

“Is that what you want to do when you graduate?”

“Maybe,” Autumn shrugged, sitting back against the seat, “that’s my house on the right.”

Sara nodded and pulled up to the curb in front of the house Autumn pointed to. A soft flicker from a television in the living room could be seen through a lower window. Autumn sighed before opening the door.

“Thanks Officer Lance,” Autumn said sadly, as she stepped out of the car.

Sara pulled forward a little but watched as Autumn approached the door and it flung open to reveal the girl’s mom. The older woman ushered her into the house, obviously yelling as the girl entered.

Sara spent the rest of her shift driving around her patrol area, but saw nothing exciting. By the time she finished her shift she was ready to curl up in bed and sleep until it was time for her to get ready for her date. Before she climbed into bed she sent a quick text to Ava which had become customary.

**Sara: Good morning Ms. Sharpe. Can’t wait for our date later.**

Seconds later Sara was fast asleep, snoring lightly. At the same time Ava was dragging herself into her classroom, the graded stack of papers tucked into a folder under her arm. A yawn rippled through her body as she sat down at her desk. She had woken up early and finished grading, a feat that she was immensely proud of. Silently she wished for the day to go by quickly, allowing her to focus on the date tonight. It had been a while since she had gone on a date and even longer since one had turned out well. The plan was to meet Sara in downtown Star City at the French restaurant that had just opened up downtown. She had never been there before but all of the other teachers had raved about it. Before Ava knew it the bell rang and the first wave of students hit her doorway.

“Good morning Ms.Sharpe,” Autumn chimed, bounding down the hallway.

“Good morning Autumn, I hope you studied for the test today,” Ava responded, stifling the yawn that threatened to creep out.

“Right.”

Ava shook her head knowing that if the pattern she had recognized was right Autumn would fail this quiz. Once everyone was in class and working Ava chanced a glance at her phone. A smile crept to her face when she saw Sara’s text. She had to admit she was looking forward to later that night. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A date to remember

Thankfully the day passed by quickly enough, until the final class of the day. Fridays were usually like this. The last ten minutes it was always difficult to keep anyone on task. However, Ava didn’t try as hard this times since she was going over her carefully thought out schedule for when she left work. For the thousandth time today Ava checked to make sure her reservation was still valid for the night. That morning when she woke she had laid out a few different outfits for the night, but hadn’t quite decided on one. Ideally she would have asked Zari to come over and help her but the one thing Ava knew she didn’t have time for was Zari’s persistent teasing. It had been bad enough that she had attempted to curl her hair that morning but only succeeded in small twirls that she had wrapped into a bun atop her head. Zari had immediately noticed the attempt and teased her about it the entire afternoon.

Some of the students had noticed as well and asked questions. Of course the one student with the most questions was Autumn. Ava looked up from her computer when she realized she had spaced out and hadn’t looked up in a few minutes. Everyone seemed to be focused on the reading material, or at least doing a decent enough job pretending to read. Except Autumn. Autumn was leaning back in her chair, the back legs precariously teetering on the verge of toppling over, as the girl stared out the window into the small courtyard on the outside. As Ava had expected the girl had failed her test with flying colors, keeping her grade hovering at a 70.

Earlier when Autumn entered the class she immediately told Ava that she had gotten a ride from Officer Lance in the cruiser. The teen was practically in awe of the officer and spent the entire fifteen minutes before the quiz distracting her classmates with the story.

“Autumn, all four legs on the floor please,” Ava reprimanded, motioning with her fingers.

“Sorry Ms. Sharpe,” Autumn replied, her gaze still on the courtyard outside, “will Officer Lance be at the game tonight?”

“Have you finished your reading?”

“You two would make a cute couple.”

“Autumn!” Ava huffed, willing the blush to stay away from her cheeks, “have you finished the reading?”

“Yeah,” the girl sighed.

Seconds later Ava’s computer lit up with the notification for an assignment being turned in. There were only three minutes left in class and everyone else was still working. She skimmed the assignment, rolling her eyes when she saw the assignment was not only complete but correct.

One minute.

“Please return your computers to the cart and plug them in. If you didn’t finish the assignment please turn it in by,” Ava began.

“Monday,” the class all sighed in unison.

“No. Turn it in by Tuesday afternoon.”

All of the students froze, their mouths agape and brows furrowed in confusion. One of the things Ava had drilled into them from the beginning was they had one day to complete unfinished assignments. Ava stifled the laugh that bubbled up and threatened to spill over. Even after the bell rang a few students sent questioning looks in her direction as they packed their bags.

“Have a good weekend,” Ava smiled, a flutter of nerves skittered down her spine.

“See you on Monday Ms. Sharpe,” a few of the students peeked their heads in as they walked towards the front.

As soon as the final student was out of her room, Ava hurriedly packed her bag, double checked her emails, sent off her reports for the day, and made sure her room was tidy. All she needed was to escape without Zari or better yet Nate seeing her. She slung her bag over her shoulder and slipped out of the classroom and down the hallway.

“Ava!” Zari’s voice resounded down the hall.

Ava turned, but continued to walk backward towards the door. Zari was standing in front of her door, munching on a bag of chips.

“I’ll text you later,” Ava called out as she burst out the door and powerwalked to her car.

Before she could settle behind in the driver’s seat Ava’s phone vibrated with a notification.

**Zari: I expect all the details later…All. The. Details *winking emoji***

Ava shook her head, started her car and pulled out of the faculty parking lot before she could be stopped by anyone else.

Across town Sara’s phone alarmed and she lazily stretched, searching blindly for the device. Her hand finally settled on it and she swiped the screen away, yawning loudly. With a groan she settled back into the comfort of her pillows, her body relaxing as she drifted off into sleep again. What felt like minutes later her alarm went off again, and she turned her face into the pillow groaning as she reached for her phone and silenced the alarm without looking. Seconds later her eyes flew open and she lunged for her phone. A relieved sigh blew past her lips. It was only 5, and she was supposed to meet Ava at 7. She sprung from bed and hopped in the shower, her body relaxing as the scalding hot water flooded down her back. Minutes later she was standing in front of her closet facetiming her sister Laurel.

“Push up bra, that red number in the corner, and loose spirals in your hair with an updo,” Laurel huffed as she hustled down the street towards her office.

“Thanks.” Sara smiled.

“I expect a call later. Love you,” Laurel blew a kiss before disconnecting the call.

A little while later Sara turned in front of her mirror. Laurel could be a pain but one thing she was helpful in situations like this. Sara ran her hands down the fabric of the dress and fixed the golden earrings in her ears. With one final swipe across her eyebrows she picked up her clutch and walked out the door. On instinct she began walking towards her cruiser, but stopped herself. She laughed as she slid behind the wheel of her personal car and backed out of her driveway. The dashboard clock read 6:30 pm.

At the same time Ava stepped out of her car at La Belle Femme and handed her keys to the valet. Unconsciously she ran her hands down the dark blue jumpsuit she had chosen to wear that night. She checked the time on her smartwatch, 6:45pm. Sara had mentioned in their conversations that she was punctual, this was her chance to see if it was true. With a final deep breath she made her way into the restaurant. Her table wasn’t quite ready so she made her way over to the bar.

“You look beautiful tonight mademoiselle,” the bartender smiled, “what can I get you?”

“Vodka martini extra dirty, shaken,” Ava said sitting down on the barstool and trying to keep her gaze away from her watch or her phone.

Moments later the bartender sat her drink in front of her. She smiled and took a long sip, hoping the liquid courage would help settle her nerves. The restaurant was buzzing with patrons. Couples were sprinkled around the room, their smiles bright in the candlelight of the centerpieces in front of them. A loud round of laughter cut through the mixing of dialogue from a large table in the middle of the restaurant. A few children at the same table fidgeted with the starched shirts they had been forced to wear, and a teen at the end of the table tried to be subtle and slide a wine glass closer to them. One couple in particular caught and held Ava’s attention. In the back corner of the room, a couple of two older woman sat, their faces inches from each other as they moved in for a quick kiss. The vibration of Ava’s phone on the counter pulled her gaze away.

**Zari: Just be yourself and tell me everything later. *heart emoji***

Ava couldn’t focus on the text and instead could only focus on the glaring 6:58 in the corner of her screen. She watched as the time ticked forward to 7 pm. Seconds later a hostess approached her at the bar, a bright smile on their face.

“Your table is ready Ms. Sharpe,” they smiled.

“Thank you,” Ava mustered a smile onto her face.

“You have one more joining you tonight, correct?”

“Yes. They should be here shortly.”

“No worries ma’am. We will escort them to your table upon their arrival. A waiter will be with you shortly.”

Ava thanked the girl as she pulled up a seat at the table and looked over the wine list. From her seat she had a perfect view of the couple from earlier. The two women were feeding each other bites of crème brulee and stealing kisses in between. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the wine list. Heat rose into her face as she looked over at her phone, 7:05pm. After a quick glance around the room, the heat returned to her face. She was the only person alone at a table. It felt like every eye was on her at the moment.

7:10 pm.

Five minutes. She would give Sara five more minutes before she left. The embarrassment that had begun building in her gut changed to anger. Maybe she should text her to check in. No. Sara said she would be here. Ava ordered another drink and downed half of it immediately. She had already turned the waiter away a few times. All eyes were on her, she could feel it. The couple was watching. The family was watching.

7:15 pm.

Anger ripped through Ava’s body unhindered as the called over her waiter to close her tab. Just as she was signing the check her phone began to vibrate, Sara’s name illuminating the screen.

“You have some nerve, Lance,” Ava spat, whispering as she stood from the table and walked out of the restaurant.

“I’m so sorry, Ava. I really am. I got called to a scene and I,” Sara trailed off, the voice of someone else called her name in the background, “I’m so sorry.”

“You could have called sooner.” Ava handed the valet her ticket.

“I know. You’re right. It all happened so quickly. I called as soon as I could. Let me make it up to you. Please.”

Ava paused, she could hear the sincerity in Sara’s voice. It wasn’t her fault that she had been called to a scene. It probably wouldn’t be the last time either.

“Okay. When?”

“Lieutenant we need you out front,” another voice broke into the conversation.

“I’ll call you. I promise.” Sara rushed out as she hung up the phone.

“Goodnight Lieutenant,” Ava hung up the phone and sent Zari a quick text.

Her friends had gone to the football game and were just arriving at the stadium. She looked down at herself, sighing and attempting to mentally prepare herself for the questions and stares.

Before going to the stadium Ava took a break and went through the drivethru at Big Belly Burger. She took her meal and sat in her car outside of the stadium, indulging in the quiet of the dim lot. The only sounds that met her ears were the crunch of tires against gravel as more people attempted to find parking in the crowded lot. A group of teenagers made their way past her car and Ava tucked her head, hoping to avoid recognition. The group was speaking loudly and she could pic a few words here and there.

“They said he’s just gone. Poof,” one of the teens said, making a explosion motion with his hands.

“My mom almost didn’t let me go,” another one said as they hurried through the gates.

Once they were out of site, Ava stepped out of her car, shrugged on the black leather jacket that she kept in the backseat and made her way towards the gates. At the ticket booth was Gary Greene, excitedly tearing off the stubs of tickets as people passed by. She stepped up closer to him and flashed her staff badge.

“Ava. I…you…you look really good,” he beamed, stepping closer to her, his face inches from hers.

“Thanks, Gary,” Ava nodded before walking away from the still grinning man.

Just like the restaurant she could feel the gaze of the students and teachers she passed lock onto her as she walked. No one spoke to her as she made her way towards the bleachers, but she could almost hear their whispers as she passed.

_Is that Ms. Sharpe?  
Wow, she’s dressed up._

_Is she meeting someone here?_

_I bet it’s that cop._

Ava was grateful when she spotted Zari standing in line at the concession stand. She walked over to her quickly, startling the woman in the process.

“You need to wear a bell or some…whoa you look amazing,” Zari stopped, her eyes growing bright as she looked over Ava’s outfit.

“Thanks. Couldn’t waste an outfit,” Ava tried to keep her voice even.

The entire ride over she had been fighting with a mixture of anger and sadness. She knew it wasn’t Sara’s fault that she was called to a scene but it doesn’t change the feeling that she was technically stood up. It seemed like when it came to dating the universe always had a way of intervening. Why would this time be any different?  
“Earth to Ava,” Zari said, waving her now powder sugar covered hand in front of Ava’s face.

“I’m sorry, what?” Ava blinked, grounding herself in the moment.

“I said, what’s going to happen next?”

“She said she’s going to make it up to me.”

“How?” Zari asked, shoving another massive bite of funnel cake in her mouth.

Ava shrugged, and Zari dropped the conversation as they made their way to the stands where their friends were sitting. Immediately after sitting down everyone’s gaze was on her. Behrad gave her two thumbs up and pressed his finger to her shoulder making a sizzling sound. Even though she could tell they were dying to ask questions none of them said anything. Instead Rory turned their attention to the recent kidnappings.

“There was another kidnapping today. Parker Kane, disappeared right out his house,” he grunted, taking a huge gulp of whatever was in his cup.

“I wonder if that’s the scene Sara got called to,” Zari whispered.

“Yeah, but they said this one was different. Broken glass in his bedroom and a weird note,” Behrad added.

Ava’s mind went immediately to Sara. A tinge of worry and guilt flickered through her as she realized the potential gravity of what the smaller blonde was having to deal with. Parker Kane was the son of the third wealthiest family in Star City, not to mention their direct kinship to the Waynes in Gotham. If a kidnapper was brave enough to go after a Kane they were especially dangerous. Ava pulled out her phone to send a quick text to Sara, then changed her mind. She spent the rest of the game fighting with herself about what to send or if she should send anything at all.

Star City High won the game by a touchdown, but the mood was somber as word of Parker’s kidnapping spread. Everyone quietly made their way out of the stadium, whispering to each other. Ava’s mind was still on Sara as she parted ways with her friends and got into her car.

Later that night Sara untangled her hair from the scrunchie she had used to haphazardly pull her hair up into a ponytail. The curls she had painstakingly formed in her hair tumbled over her shoulder as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She leaned forward and cradled her face in her hands. Saying she was exhausted seemed like an understatement. Today was supposed to be her first day off in weeks. She had been burning the candle on both ends but it wasn’t until this moment that she realized how tired she had become. Pangs of guilt still raced through her when she remembered that she had to cancel on Ava. She didn’t date much, despite what the other officers believed. Nearly two years ago she had broken up with her girlfriend at the time, following an incident with her dad. Since then Sara had admittedly had a few drunken nights that led to mornings in a stranger’s bed, but she wanted something real.

Sara shook her head, pulling herself of her thoughts and into the moment. After leaving the scene after hours of collecting evidence and making phone calls, she had finally found a quiet moment inside of her car. As she indulged in the silence that entombed her, the peace was cut by the sound of her stomach growling. Her gaze went to the time on her dashboard.

10:30.

One of the advantages of working the night shift was getting to know the late night food vendors. No other vendor came to mind at the moment except for Carlos’s Taco stand. Without hesitation she pulled away from the curb and headed to the park where Carlos would be parked at this time.

Carlos’s was a taco stand run by brothers Carlos and Aaron. The brothers were Jamaican brothers and were known for their range of tacos with flavors from all over the world. Sara had met them after responding to a robbery call where a random drifter had stolen their tip jar and returned later to rob the register at gunpoint. When Sara had arrived at the scene the potential robber was tied up with robes and sitting just outside the food truck doors. Since that night Sara could be found at Carlos’s at least once a week.

Sara had arrived at the taco stand nearly twenty minutes ago, but hadn’t done anything but sit at the small table a few feet away. Patrons flowed in and out of the line chatting amongst themselves. The park was always full of life at this time of night on Fridays. A few people swaying and stumbling out of bars would make their way over to the truck, order a Huevo Hangover and eat it while sitting on the curb. All of them were oblivious to the danger lurking somewhere in the city, or at least chose to ignore it for the moment.

“Order for Lance,” a soft voice said from behind her.

“Not me. I haven’t ordered yet,” Sara said, rubbing her eyes.

The sound of a bag being sat on the table in front of her pulled her attention up to the person in front of her. She was about to open her mouth to repeat herself when her gaze met Ava’s. The taller blonde sat down a bag with a massive container of tacos and two cup of horchata. Sara kept blinking and rubbing her eyes for a moment, wondering if she was hallucinating. Ava smirked and opened up the container of tacos and too the top off a small bowl of red sauce.

“What are you doing here?” Sara finally asked.

“Last time I checked we had a date scheduled for tonight.” Ava smiled, dunking a taco into the bowl of sauce.

“How did you find me?” Sara’s eyebrow quirked up.

“Honestly,” Ava began trying to suppress a cough, “Corporal Snart called me and told me you would be here.”

Laughter freely spilled from Sara’s lips at Ava’s admission. She made a silent note to thank Leo later. Ava pushed the container of tacos closer to Sara. The smaller blonde picked up one she knew as the al pastor taco and bit into it sighing in contentment.

“How did you know which ones I like?” Sara said between mouthfuls.

“I asked them what your usual was,” Ava replied, waving at the two men watching them from the food truck.

“You look amazing by the way,” Sara paused from eating, to take in Ava’s outfit.

The dark blue jumpsuit clung around the taller blonde’s arms and waist, drawing attention to the toned lines of the woman’s body. Ava’s cheeks flushed deeply under Sara’s scrutiny. Sara was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She had taken of the dress earlier and changed into the extra clothes she carried in her car. Sara noticed Ava studying her just like she had done a few moments before.

“I dressed up too you know,” Sara sighed as she pulled out her phone and showed Ava the picture she had taken earlier.

Ava’s eyes widened as the took in the firey red dress the smaller blonde had been wearing earlier. The soft lines of the dress led down to a dangerous split up the side. The curly hair that now cascaded over her shoulder had earlier been pinned up in an elegant updo.

“Wow,” Ava smiled, looking up from the phone, “you look beautiful.”

Sara smiled and took another bite of her meal. They fell into an easy conversation about their families and where they were from. Ava was an only child which Sara used as an excuse to tease her about hogging all the red sauce.

“Is it a deal breaker that I’m from Fresno?” Ava teased, laughing at Sara’s astonished face when she told her about her home town.

“No. Usually yes, but not this time,” Sara laughed.

Sara told her more about growing up in Star City and having a dad on the police force. She recounted tales about high school and skipping school to sneak into movie theaters for matinees. Ava didn’t have any crazy stories except for attempting to skip school once but being caught by her parents who happened to be at the mall as well. The tray of tacos diminished between the two of them and even after Carlos and Aaron waved them goodbye they stayed in the park.

The rest of the city had quieted down and the only people in the park were the two of them. They walked together in silence, indulging in the peace of the park at night. Lampposts positioned around the park illuminated their path in a soft glow as they made their way around the man-made lake in the middle. A small family of ducks drifted along the otherwise still water. Tiny bugs skittered across the surface creating tiny ripples that spread out and lapped against the edges of the lake. Sara paused for a moment and stared up into the night sky. She had always like the park at night. It was one of the few places in Star City that you could enjoy the stars without the interference of the city lights. Ava didn’t notice the smaller blonde stop at first and walked forward a few steps.

When she turned around she couldn’t help but smile at the smaller blonde staring into the night sky, her eyes somehow bluer in the moonlight. Sara looked down at that exact moment and their gaze met. The distance between them closed slowly as they met in the moonlight. For an unknown reason Sara felt nervous as Ava moved closer, their lips only a few inches apart.

“Can I kiss you?” Ava asked, her breath a whisper against Sara’s heated face.

“Yes,” Sara whispered back as if saying it too loud would break the spell.

Ava’s hand went to the base of Sara’s back, while the other came up to tilt her face upward. She lowered her lips to Sara’s, the warmth of the kiss overwhelmed them both for a moment. They separated from the kiss and stood holding hands for a moment. Ava tried really hard but couldn’t contain her yawn. Sara dropped her hands and laughed.

“I’m so sorry,” Ava said, trying and failing to stifle another yawn.

“It’s okay. It’s midnight. That’s way past your bedtime teach,” Sara laughed as they turned to head back to the front of the park.

Sara walked Ava to her car and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before walking away. Ava slid behind the steering wheel of her car and watched Sara get into hers across the street. She laughed at herself, knowing that Sara didn’t need her protection but that didn’t change her desire to keep the smaller blonde safe. They waved goodbye and went their separate ways.

Later that night Sara lay staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. Since arriving home she had slept for a few hours but was awoken by a dream that she missed something at the scene earlier. It had been another kidnapping, except this one wasn’t as clean. The second story window of the teen’s room had been shattered and glass was found in the room and on the lawn. Sara bolted upright in bed. Why was their glass in both locations but only one window was broken? She spent the next couple of hours scouring over photos of the scene and the notes she had taken earlier. Something wasn’t right about this particular case and she was determined to find it. Her work was interrupted by a call from Leo.

“Hey Leo. Thanks for telling Ava…”Sara started.

“You’re welcome. That’s not why I called. You’re needed on scene,” Leo began, “1532 Abernathy Street.”

“I’ll be right there,” Sara sighed as she hung up the phone.

She changed her clothes and made her way to her cruiser. Suddenly she froze. Abernathy Street…the Palmer tech homes...Autumn.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another child has been kidnapped and the SCPD is no closer to solving the case. Among the chaos Sara and Ava try and steal quiet moments free from darkness that is slowly closing in on the city.

Light filtered through the half opened curtains of Ava’s bedroom window. Saturdays were the one day that Ava allowed herself to sleep in a little. She stretched her arms, the half awake muscles relaxing as a yawn pulled past her lips. An involuntary groan followed as she looked over at the soft glow of the clock on her nightstand.

9:30…

Ava laid back down, her gaze going to the ceiling and tracing along the line of glow in the dark paint that shone through despite the numerous coats of paint that she had applied. When she first moved in, there had been stars scattered across the ceiling as well. It had taken three days to soften the glue that the previous tenant used to adhere them to the ceiling. The only distinguishable constellation in the mess had been the big dipper. Since then she had tried to think of a more creative story to tell guests that noticed the stripe of paint but hadn’t come up with anything yet. It was also a welcome distraction from less satisfying visits.

Ava picked up her phone and made her way to the bathroom, the device vibrating in her hand as it awoke along with her. She scrolled through her notifications, discarding most of them since they were from games that she never played and frankly forgot she had downloaded. The next series of messages were from Zari and the other teachers. All of them were asking if she had heard the news. She frowned, wondering what was so urgent that even Zari was awake at this hour.

After showering she made her way into the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen island with a bowl of cereal and called Zari. The phone only rang twice before she picked up.

“It’s about time you called,” Zari huffed.

“Sorry. What’s going on?” Ava asked, eating a mouthful of cereal.

“Autumn’s brother was kidnapped last night.”

A cough ripped from Ava’s lungs as they protested against the milk she swallowed.

“What?” Ava said, rapidly pulling up Sara’s number.

“I haven’t heard much since this morning, but Autumn’s parents heard a commotion and they found his bedroom empty.”

“Is Autumn okay?”

“As well as she can be, I’m sure.”

“Thanks, Z. I’ll call you later.”

As soon as she hung up the phone, she typed a message to send to Sara. Then deleted it, typed it and deleted it again. She knew Sara wouldn’t be able to tell her much but Autumn was one of her students and this was the closest to home one the kidnappings had been. Before she could contemplate sending the message again a notification showed up on her screen.

**Sara: Are you awake?**

**Ava: Yes. I was about to text you.**

**Sara: Meet me at Starline Donuts in 20?**

**Ava: See you there.**

Across town Sara sat in her cruiser, her gaze unfocused and hazy from the scene she had witnessed a few hours before. At this point in her career she had seen a lot of crime scenes, but nothing had prepared her for everything that transpired at the Fields’ home. She shook her head to clear away the images that came flooding in and stepped out of the car.

“Donuts with Ava. Donuts with Ava. Donuts with Ava,” she said aloud, over and over until the thought of the taller blonde and her infectious laugh was the only thing that filled her mind.

Once she was inside she quickly darted upstairs and took a quick shower, washing the grime from the woods where they had done a quick sweep before leaving. The phantom grip of Muriell Fields remained on her arm, an image of a weeping mother begging her to bring her son home. Sara finished getting dressed and slid behind the driver’s seat of her car. Her fingers white-knuckled on the steering wheel for a moment as she thought about the crime scene once more. She shook it off and backed out of the driveway and headed to Starline.

Ten minutes later she was sitting in the back corner of Starline café, breathing in the scent of fresh ground coffee and donuts. Warmth raced down her fingers as she held the cup of coffee in her hands. Patrons went in and out of the shop, ignoring Sara as if she didn’t exist. Sometimes it was nice to blend in. The bell above the door chimed again and Ava stepped through. Sara watched at the taller blonde placed her order at the counter, a bright smile on her face, but her posture was noticeably tense. Once she placed her order, her gaze swept across the room looking for Sara. Their gazes met across the room and Sara willed her body to relax a little. The answering furrow on Ava’s brow proved that she had failed.

“Hey, a donut place huh? Kind of spot on don’t you think,” Ava smiled, sliding into the booth across from Sara.

“Come on, everyone likes donuts,” Sara replied, taking a sip of her coffee.

Ava took a long slow sip of coffee, her gaze sweeping over Sara. The smaller blonde looked tired. She could only imagine the strain it was taking on Sara to investigate these kidnappings. The Fields weren’t rich but they were well known and liked in the city. The desire to ask about the kidnapping nagged at Ava but she refrained. Instead they talked for a few minutes bout their favorite baked goods from Starline and other places in the area. After a little while it changed to dreams.

“What would you be if you weren’t a teacher?” Sara asked, taking a bite of the chocolate donut in front of her.

“Hmmm. For half of my life I was focused on becoming a doctor like my dad, but my passion has always been in history, government, policy reform. That sort of thing. I guess if I weren’t a teacher I would be in the government. CIA or something like that.”

“Nice. What made you pick teaching instead of an agent?”

“I was a TA in college for a biology class. You know running labs and grading papers for the professor, and it was the most fun I had in college.”

“Now that’s just sad.”

“No. I mean educationally. Seeing their faces when they figured out something new is like nothing else in the world. It pretty much solidified my choice.”

Sara couldn’t help the smile that crept onto her face as she watched Ava’s eyes light up as she talked about her kids. A twinge of guilt flickered in her stomach when a flash of memory from the night before raced through her psyche. When she refocused on the moment Ava was staring at her, biting her bottom lip and shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

“Go ahead,” Sara said, finishing off the final piece of her donut.

“Is Autumn okay?” Ava blurted out, unable to contain her questions any longer.

“I guess technically. Her brother was kidnapped and that’s rough under normal circumstances.”

Ava took another sip of her coffee and watched as Sara battled with herself to say more. She knew that there would be a lot that Sara couldn’t share, but her biggest question had been answered. Autumn wasn’t hurt and at that moment that was all she could hope for.

“Hey,” Ava said, reaching over the table and taking Sara’s hand in hers, “you don’t have to tell me anything else. Thank you.”

Sara’s shoulders relaxed and she turned her hand to lightly grasp Ava’s and squeeze. Like a bolt of lightning to the spine Sara and Ava realized they were holding hands in the middle of the coffee shop. Ava’s face flushed bright red but she didn’t let go.

“So, what would you be if you weren’t a cop?” Ava asked, clearing her throat.

“It’s silly,” Sara said, her faced red, making the freckles that lined her cheeks stand out more, “a dancer.”

“You can dance,” Ava’s eyes grew bright with intrigue.

“Yeah. I’ve been dancing since I was a kid. If I weren’t a cop I would probably be a professional dancer.”

“You know this means we have to go dancing for date night.”

“Noted.”

After they finished their treats they walked outside together, their hands hanging at their sides but barely touching. Ava loved being a teacher, and loved running into her kids outside of school even more. As the GSA sponsor she had instilled in her students that they should be proud of who they are and who they love. She also knew that all of her GSA students were anxiously waiting the opportunity to mercilessly tease her about dating someone. If one of them were to see her now trying to resist the temptation to hold hands with the lieutenant they would never let her hear the end of it. They made their way down the street towards the lot where Ava had parked. Sunlight beat down on them, gleaming off of the buildings nearby. In this light Sara’s eyes were even brighter blue and Ava couldn’t help but stare into them. As if drawn to her like a magnet Ava closed the distance between them. Sara leaned up towards her, inches away from her lips.

“Ava! Hey!” the super chipper voice of Mona Wu said from behind her.

The two women stepped apart and Sara tried her best to relax her posture and control the scowl on her face. Mona and her husband Konane were walking towards them, a box of donuts in her hand. Konane walked alongside her, his gaze immediately locking with Sara’s. Sara stepped in front of Ava, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

“You,” Konane snarled.

“Konane, long time no see.” Sara smirked.

The two stepped up to each other fists at their sides, then burst into laughter. Konane swooped Sara up in a huge hug, spinning her around before jokingly punching her in the arm.

“It’s good to see you again Canary,” Konane laughed.

“Likewise Wolfman,” Sara laughed, punching him in the arm.

“Ohhhh, she’s the Canary you talk about all the time,” Mona said, taking a bite out of a donut and holding the box out towards Ava.

“Yeah. We miss you down at the ring. When are you coming back?” Konane growled.

“Don’t worry. Once I wrap up this case I’ll be back and your reign will end,” Sara teased.

“Can’t wait.”

While Konane and Sara continued to talk Mona pulled Ava aside. She threw Ava a knowing glance then looked over at Sara.

“Yes, no, please,” Ava said, rolling her eyes at the appalled open-mouthed expression on Mona’s face.

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.” Mona retorted.

“We’re we on a date? Are we official? Should you keep this to yourself?”

“Whoa, you’re good.”

Ava couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled forth as Mona took another bite of a donut. She chewed slowly, and Ava could tell she was contemplating what to ask next. Mona was a part of the monthly book club along with Rory, Zari, and Nora Palmer on occasion. It was there that Ava had first met Konane. Needless to say she was surprised by the large MMA fighter being the husband of the mild-mannered chorus teacher. However, Mona had proven she wasn’t as mild-mannered as most thought when she faced down the PTA alone over the importance of chorus when they suggested removing the program.

“It’s all very new to both of us. You understand right,” Ava said, finally finding her words.

“I won’t say anything, teachers honor,” Mona replied with a little salute.

Konane and Sara walked back over to them and after speaking with Ava briefly they parted ways, leaving Sara and Ava back where they started. The both had to admit that the moment was broken, but they Sara still planted a gentle kiss on her cheek before walking away to her car. She stopped mid-step and turned around.

“Hey Ava,” Sara started, bringing the taller blonde up short, “I know you already watch out for your kids but can you keep a closer eye on Autumn.”

“Of course,” Ava said, sharing a final look and sliding behind the wheel of her car.

Monday arrived quicker than anyone wanted it to. Ava had spent the rest of her weekend grading papers and spending time with Zari. She had planned on having brunch with her friend Nora Palmer on Sunday but Nora was called away to help with one of the numerous charities Palmer Tech donated to. Instead Ava spent Sunday watching cartoons and eating cereal from a ridiculously large bowl. She had tried texting Sara but the smaller blonde’s responses were sporadic. Despite her desire to talk to her, Ava understood that with the rash of kidnappings Sara was extremely busy.

Teaching on Monday was almost impossible since the only chatter was about the kidnapping over the weekend. The talk about the recent kidnapping was mixed in with a few worried whispers about who would be next. Ava did her best to redirect the students as well as assure them that the police were doing their best. Throughout the day Ava found herself looking for Autumn. When she finally saw the girl she was not her usual self. The first thing Ava noticed was that she was alone, her shoulders slumped, and head down to avoid the gaze of her peers. The usually vibrant girl seemed smaller, and tired. Final period arrived quickly and Ava made sure she greeted Autumn at the door. Autumn didn’t acknowledge her; instead, she went directly to her table and put her head down. The bell rang and Ava turned her attention to the classroom that like the others were abuzz with gossip. Once she had everyone focused on work she crossed the room and knelt down next to Autumn who hadn’t lifted her head.

“Hey,” Ava whispered quietly, “I know today must be really hard for you. Would you like to take your work outside in the hall?”

Autumn lifted her head to look at Ava, a sheen of tears hovering at the edges of her vision.

“I’m not doing any work today,” Autumn said, her voice shaky.

“I know. Hallway?”

Ava felt proud at the slight smirk that flickered for a second across Autumn’s face. She stood and helped the girl set up outside in the hallway where she could be free from her peers gaze and questions. Ava floated around the room, making sure that everyone was working on their projects, and periodically peeked her head out to check on Autumn. Each time she checked the girl was just sitting at the desk staring off into space. Just before the final bell Autumn brought the desk back in the room and put away her things. One of the girls from Autumn’s usual table kept shifting her gaze to where the girl stood in the corner of the room waiting for the bell. Ava couldn’t make it across the room fast enough to stop the girl’s approach.

“Sad thing about your little brother, Autumn. I can’t imagine what I would do if my little brother was kidnapped,” the girl said, placing her hand on Autumn’s shoulder.

“If you’re anything like me you wouldn’t do anything. That’s all I ever do,” Autumn huffed.

The bell trilled loudly over the speaker and everyone was swept up in a wave of students heading for the bus stop. Ava called out for Autumn but the girl just turned to look at her then continued walking. A few minutes later the halls were clear except for the GSA members who were coming to Ava’s room afterschool to plan for their homecoming float.

“Ms. Sharpe can I use your computer to project the plans for everyone to see,” Lena asked, sitting her bag down.

“Of course, I’ll be right back. Lena, Kara can you wrangle everybody as they come in for me,” Ava said, not waiting for their response.

Ava made her way down the hallway. Lately, Autumn had been riding home with a few of her friends. She hoped that this was still the case and the girl would still be mingling around the parking lot. The girl’s words earlier had left an unsettling feeling in Ava’s gut. Just as Ava passed the front doors of the school she paused. Autumn was sitting on one of the benches outside, wiping away tears. As quietly as she could Ava made her way outside and over to the bench.

“Mind if I sit?” Ava asked.

Autumn shrugged in response. Ava sat down on the bench next to her and didn’t speak for a moment. Quiet sobs tore from the girl’s lips and Ava watched over her to ensure that nobody disturbed her. After a few moments Autumn stopped crying and turned her tear-stained face to look at Ava.

“Ms. Sharpe can I ask you something?” the girl started.

“Of course,” Ava said, trying to keep her face calm despite the sick feeling building in her stomach.

“When do you stop making mistakes?”

“That’s not what I thought you were going to ask,” Ava began, “uhh…never. Mistakes are a part of life. The important thing is what we do afterward. Trying to fix what we messed up and learn from it.”

“What if you don’t know how to fix it?”

“Then you ask for help.”

“What if you didn’t know you were making a mistake?”

“Well you never know you’re making a mistake until you make it. Right? Sometimes we get a gut feeling about things but curiosity usually wins.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Listen, Autumn. We have to make so many choices every single day. You’re at a point in your life where you have big decisions thrown at you left and right, but the one decision you can always make is the decision to do what’s right. Trust in yourself.”

Autumn opened her mouth to speak, but stopped suddenly, her gaze going to the curb where her mother had just pulled up. She turned back to Ava and smiled brightly, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“See you tomorrow Ms. Sharpe,” she said, wiping at her cheek once more.

Ava did her best to still her features but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. Muriell waved to her from the car, a similar forced smile on her face as well. Once they were out of sight Ava made her way back to her classroom. The members were all focused on their own tasks to make the float for the parade, but Ava’s mind was elsewhere. They stayed after until 6 p.m making pieces for the float and planning for their next meeting. All of the students could tell Ava wasn’t focused on the float but they didn’t say anything. Once they were all gone Ava sat for a few minutes in the silence of her room, contemplating her next move. She finally decided to wait one more day to collect more information.

Later that night she lay awake in bed, her mind still racing and thinking about the conversation she had with Autumn. The vibration of her phone pulled her out of her thoughts. Despite the turmoil in her mind she was grateful for the distraction Sara brought.

“I know it’s late, I’m sorry,” Sara said as soon as Ava answered.

“It’s okay. I was awake.”

“Oh? What’s on your mind?”

Ava bit her lip, weighing the pros and cons of telling Sara what was on her mind. She curled deeper into her blankets and tried to think of anything else.

“Nothing. I have nights like this.”

Suddenly, Ava’s phone lit up with a request for a video chat. She answered and Sara’s bright blue eyes illuminated by a nearby lamppost filled her screen. The smaller blonde was sitting in her cruiser, tired dark circles rimming her eyes. Sara sighed deeply, a soft smile flashed across her face at the cute way Ava was bundled under the covers.

“Hey,” Sara whispered, even though she was the only one in the car parked along the darkened street.

“Hey. Are you on patrol?”

In response, Sara moved the phone to show her vest and then turned the camera to show the street outside. Tonight she had been assigned to patrol the neighborhood near the park. A few eye witnesses had called in tips that a boy matching Henry Fields’s description. It had been a quiet night so far and the only movement came from stray leaves dancing over the ground. A stray cat jumping on top of a trashcan and sending the contents flying was the only thing that had broken the silence. Sara had stopped near the lamppost ten minutes ago, and attempted to go through the files she had brought with her. Going over the evidence did nothing but raise more questions she couldn’t answer until she spoke with Ray Palmer the next day. Her hunch about the glass at the Kane house had turned up some interesting leads. She was able to confirm that the window had been broken from the outside of the home and the glass outside was not from the window at all. Instead, she had traced it back to the windshield of a moped. These findings led her to ask the question of why the alarm systems were not triggered in the past two kidnappings. Both of the systems were still down when the police arrived and no one could figure out why. It was this unanswered question that caused her to reach out to Ray Palmer, but for now she was stuck outside of the dimly lit homes with nothing to do.

“Earth to Lieutenant Lance,” Ava teased.

“Sorry. What were you saying?” Sara shook her head and rubbed at her tired eyes.

“I said did you get any sleep this weekend.”

“No. Not really. I’ll sleep when the case is over.”

“That doesn’t sound reasonable.”

“How was Autumn today?” Sara asked, desperate to change the subject.

“She’s,” Ava paused, trying to find the right words, “troubled. This really took a toll on her.”

“I don’t think anyone at the scene that night is the same.”

“Sara…what happened that night?”

“I…I can’t tell you, but it will all be in the paper tomorrow.”

“Are you okay?”

“Fine. I’ll let you go to sleep. Goodnight,” Sara said, hanging up before Ava could respond.

Once again Sara found herself surrounded by silence. She slid the file on the top of the pile into her lap and began to read again, lightly tapping a highlighter on the edge of the folder. Five kidnapped children. The first one had happened over a month ago and there were still no leads. Five children, lost in the dark. Five children that should be home in their beds asleep and ready for the next day of school. Five children taken from their beds, their homes, their families. Five children that Sara had to find, had to bring home, and she refused to rest until they were safe.

Meanwhile a man watched the blonde cop in the car reading. She was smart but not smarter than him. He knew where the children were. The blonde cop looked up, her eyes squinted as she looked in the direction of the man, but he was hidden just out of sight. She stepped out of the car and the man disappeared into the darkness. Back to the children.

“Five little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said no more monkeys jumping on the bed,” the man sang as he made his way back to the children.

Five little sleeping children.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truths will be revealed and more questions will arise.

Ava awoke to the blaring of her alarm clock, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a moment. A raging headache had taken hold of the back of her head and down her neck. She groaned, forcing herself to get ready for work. Once she was dressed and ready she stared down at her phone, debating whether to text Sara. It was their morning routine but the stress of the past few days was wearing on them both. Ava’s focus was on Autumn and finding out if the unsettling feeling she had in the pit of her stomach the day before was valid. The Fields were a well-known family in the area. Ava wasn’t originally from Star City so she had not frame of reference for the Fields or the work they did in the community. The only thing Ava knew was that her conversation with Autumn yesterday had left a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, and a hunch that she knew she needed to find evidence of to be taken seriously.

When she arrived at work, instead of hiding away in her room to enjoy her morning cup of coffee, Ava made her way to the cafeteria instead. The room was abuzz with conversations about the upcoming homecoming parade and dance in three weeks, and off course the latest kidnapping. The students had deemed the kidnapper the Star City Stalker and it was the only thing on anyone’s mind these days. Ava made her way over to the middle table where Principal Hunter, Behrad, and Zari were sitting. Thankfully Ava had been able to dodge breakfast duty for the school year due to her sponsorship of multiple clubs and athletics. As she approached the table Zari raised a half-eaten chicken biscuit in the air.

“Ms. Sharpe, to what do we owe this pleasure,” Rip smiled, sliding over to give her room to sit.

“I…I just wanted to change things up,” Ava responded, knowing immediately that she should have come up with a convincing story.

“Ms. Sharpe?”

“I am looking for a student. Autumn Fields. We had a talk yesterday afternoon that made me a little worried.”

“Worried? What do you mean?”

“She asked me about making mistakes, and seems different than usual.”

“Well her brother did get kidnapped Aves,” Behrad added, immediately adverting his gaze at the searing glare Ava threw in his direction.

At that moment, Autumn Fields entered the cafeteria. Similar to yesterday, her shoulders were slumped down as she made her way to an empty high top table. Her friends made their way over to her, but paused a few feet away, watching as the girl stood and walked away from them. Ava watched the entire interaction, then looked over to Rip who was just as confused.

“I trust you Ms. Sharpe. Just keep me in the loop,” Rip said, nodding to Ava as she stood up and made her way out of the cafeteria.

By the time Ava made her way through the sea of students wishing her good morning, and asking about the upcoming tryouts for the academic team Autumn had disappeared from the hallway. She slowly made her way back to her classroom, the entire time looking around for Autumn. Ava went back to her room, but made a mental note to pull the girl aside to talk during the final period. The day seemed to drag, with each passing hour the uneasy feeling in Ava’s stomach grew. If she was being honest her worst fear was that she was right.

Meanwhile across town, Sara and Leo pulled into the parking lot of Palmer Technologies. The tallest building in Star City loomed over them as they made their way into the lobby. A bright eyed intern greeted them at the door. The girl was practically buzzing with excitement as the officers approached.

“Lieutenant Sara Lance and Corporal Leonard Snart. Welcome to Palmer Technologies. My name is Emily and I’ll be escorting you through the building and upstairs to Mr. Palmer’s office.” She smiled.

“Thank you Emily,” Sara mustered up a somewhat cordial tone, “after you.”

Before they had departed the precinct Sara and the rest of the detectives were torn a new one by Captain Lance. The string of kidnappings and the lack of leads were giving the press plenty of ammo to call the SCPD incompetent and question Quentin’s leadership. It hadn’t helped matters that Mayor Queen stopped by to personally speak with the captain on the matter and demand results. Usually Sara was treated like any other officer on the force, but today her father had pulled her into his office and demanded that she get answers soon or she could kiss her dream of detective goodbye.

Emily waved them forward to a security checkpoint. Two large security guards waved the intern through then gestured for Sara and Leo to come forward.

“No weapons are permitted past this point,” one of the guards said.

“Yeah. That’s not going to happen,” Leonard sighed, taking a step forward.

“Corporal Snart, we are here as guests. If they say no weapons then no weapons,” Sara said sternly, putting a hand on Leo’s shoulder.

Leonard turned towards Sara, his gaze questioning her unquestioned compliance.

“Actually, Mr. Palmer cleared them to bring their weapons. A sign of good will and intention,” Emily chimed up, mouthing a sorry to the security guards.

Sara and Leonard were waved through once their badge numbers were verified. After the checkpoint the lobby opened up into what could only be described as a miniature food court. Dozens of employees milled around the lobby stopping at various food kiosks positioned around the room. They made their way through the sea of people to an elevator where Emily held her badge up to a screen allowing them access.

“Do all employees have badges like that?” Sara asked.

“Yes. It’s the only way you get around here, and before you ask each one is specifically coded for the individual.”

Before Sara could ask anything else the doors slid open and they stepped inside. Soft twinkling music filled the elevator as an automated voice announced the floors as they ascended. Once they passed the 30th floor the wall outside of the elevator vanished and in its place was a wall of glass that allowed a spectacular view of the city. Sara and Leo stepped closer to take in the view. Even as the elevator came to a halt they were mesmerized by the hustle and bustle of the city beneath them.

“The view from my office is even better,” a voice said from behind them.

Sara and Leo turned to see Ray Palmer standing just outside of the elevator. The man standing in front of them did not match the idea that either of them had in their head of the man who owned and operated one of the largest tech companies in the world. As Sara read about him, she had expected him to be like other CEOs, obsessed with their work, stiff, and less than cordial when it came to talking to the police. Ray however, was the opposite. He wasn’t even wearing a suit; instead jeans, a red sweater and converses were his outfit of choice.

“Ray Palmer, it’s a pleasure to meet you detectives,” Ray said reaching to shake Sara’s hand, “well not a pleasure because of the circumstances, but nice to help if I can.”

“Great, he’s one of those types of geniuses,” Leo said rolling his eyes, earning a sharp elbow from Sara.

“Nice to meet you Mr. Palmer. My name is…” Sara started.

“Lieutenant Sara Lance and Corporal Leonard Snart. Highly decorated and respected members of SCPD. You graduated the academy together nine years ago.”

“Looks like someone did their homework. A+,” Leo sighed.

“That’s enough Leo,” Sara snarled.

“What can I help you with today officers? I was told you needed to speak with me about the recent breakins?” Ray said, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

“Yes. Is there somewhere private we could talk? Your office maybe?” Sara asked.

“Of course,” Ray said turning and leading them back to his office.

He had been telling the truth. The massive window in Ray’s office offered a spectacular view of the city. Once they were inside Ray sent Emily to get cups of coffee and motioned for the officers to sit in the small seating area near the window. He picked up a remote from the table and tapped a button, making the other walls go opaque. Emily returned a few moments later with three steaming cups of coffee. Once she was gone Sara pulled out the list of houses where the kidnappings had happened.

“Mr. Palmer, five children are missing and each of their homes have Palmer security systems installed. The latest one, the Fields live in the culdesac that your company created with the latest technology,” Sara explained, handing Ray the list of addresses.

“I would have to check my database to see which version of the security systems they had,” Ray said, pressing a button on the edge of the table, making a holographic map of the city appear in the center of the table.

He read the addresses aloud and those particular homes elevated on the map with information about the type of security systems. Sara made a few notes about each type and waited for Ray to explain what they meant.

“When officers arrived on scene at each of these homes the alarm system was off, and until the last two there were no signs of forced entry,” Leo added, pointing out the homes of the Fields’ and the Kane’s.

“What do you mean off?” Ray frowned.

“Off, the entire system for the house was disabled. We assumed a wire was cut or something.”

“No. The only way any of our systems could be completely disabled would be from direct manipulation of the operating system. Trying to cut an outside wire would just trigger a silent alarm,” Ray explained.

Sara’s brow furrowed. She had been increasingly suspicious of the alarm systems and for a moment she had considered the idea that Ray Palmer was somehow connected. However, now seeing the man furiously going through files on his tablet she knew that was out of the question.

“Mr. Palmer. Would it be possible for someone to access the systems remotely?” Sara asked.

“Of course. Our technicians can access all security systems from the office or from their USDs,” Ray stammered, “Ubiquitous Service Devices. Each technician has one that is specific to them and allows them to interface with the security systems, but they can only do that if there is an existing ticket and the system maintains a record of who accessed the individual servers.”

“So our suspect works here at Palmer Tech,” Leo surmised.

“It would appear so,” Ray sighed, running a hand through his hair, “I can’t believe any of my techs would do this.”

Ray shook his head in disbelief. When he had started the company nearly ten years ago he had vowed that it would be a force for good. The idea that someone was using his technology to harm people, and especially to kidnap children made him sick to his stomach. He swallowed hard, realizing that he would have to tell his wife Nora and she would be just as devastated. Sara’s hand pressing to his shoulder brought him out of his spiral.

“It’s not your fault. We’ll need a list of all of your techs and any other personnel that would have access to a USD,” Sara said, her voice calm as she tried to reassure the man that it really wasn’t his fault.

“Of course. I’ll send it right over.”

“Thank you, Mr. Palmer. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else.”

Sara nodded to Leo and they made their way out of the office. As they exited the office Emily bounded up to them to escort them downstairs. Once they were back in the parking lot they stopped just outside of their cruisers. Leo leaned against the side of his car knowing that Sara had something on her mind. Sara was staring out across the parking lot, her gaze wandering over the cars and people milling around.

“Hey Leo,” Sara said, smiling brightly, “see that car at 3 o’clock. How the driver is positioned just so where we can’t see his face.”

Leonard, stretched his arms above his head and pretended to yawn. His gaze darting for a second over in the direction of the car Sara had pointed out. Just like she said the driver had parked in such a way that his face was obscured but they were sure he could see them. Sara had noticed the same car when they arrived but had dismissed it as someone arriving for work. They had been upstairs for at least thirty minutes and the car and driver were still there. Sara pushed away from her cruiser and made her way towards the car. Leo did the same but went the opposite way in order to sneak up on the driver. He ran the plates and it came back as a stolen vehicle. Sara approached the car, her gaze just ahead of the car. As she got closer to the car she noticed that the driver hadn’t moved at all. By this time Leo was at the back of the car. He looked into the car, his eyes going wide as he waved Sara over. In the car was a mannequin with a ball cap pulled down over its face. On the steering wheel was a folded note and it was addressed to Sara Lance on the outside. Sara immediately called in for backup and had Leo grab the thermal camera from his cruiser. As Leo checked the car out the officers who arrived as backup helped her set up a perimeter.

After checking the car and finding nothing suspicious. Sara popped open the driver door and reached inside for the note. Leo and the other cops swept the rest of the vehicle but found nothing else of value. They were still combing through when Captain Quentin Lance arrived on scene. Sara walked over to him and handed him the note.

“What is this?” he asked, looking down at the carefully written note.

The note read:

**If you give a man a child, he’ll ask for a home to keep it in. If you give a man a home, he’ll ask for a place to keep his secrets. If you give him a place to keep his secrets, he’ll ask for another child.**

“I have no idea. Leo and I spotted the car upon entering the building to speak with Ray Palmer and upon exiting we noticed the same car had not moved and the driver was still in the vehicle. When we approached we noticed our friend over there,” Sara said pointing to the mannequin that was being scanned over, “along with that note.”

“You think it’s the Stalker?” Quentin frowned.

“I don’t know any other criminal that would leave letters addressed to me.”

“Tone, lieutenant.”

“Yes, captain. I believe it’s from the stalker, but what does it mean?”

“Maybe there’s more to the note. Make sure you have it sent with the rest of this to forensics,” he added, handing her the note and walking away, “and track down the person that reported that vehicle stolen.”

Sara simply nodded and returned to Leo’s side where they were removing the mannequin from the vehicle. Underneath the mannequin was a copy of _If you Give a Mouse a Cookie._ Sara picked it up and noticed that it was only the cover and someone had drawn a cop uniform on the mouse.

“This was my favorite book as a kid. My dad read it to me every night,” Sara said, depositing it into an evidence bag.

“What does any of this mean?” Leo frowned.

“I have no idea.

At that moment Sara’s phone began to vibrate. Ava’s face shone on the screen.

“Hey. I can’t talk right now, but I promise I’ll call you back later,” Sara said stepping away from the scene for a moment.

“It can’t wait. I need to talk to you now,” Ava said, her voice strained.

“Okay, let me step away for a second,” Sara said, signaling to Leo that she would be right back.

Once she was a few feet away from the scene she took a moment to breathe then asked Ava to continue.

“It’s about Autumn. Yesterday when I talked with her she kept talking about mistakes, but when her mom showed up and she started smiling and acting like nothing was wrong. Then today I asked them to right about the difference between equality and equity and she wrote that neither truly exists for the powerless. Some of the things she wrote were really dark, and in graphic detail. Then today it was the same as yesterday. All day she was obviously melancholy, and avoided her friends, but when her mom picked her up she was smiling again.” Ava explained in a rush of breath.

“Where is she now?” Sara asked.

“Her mother picked her up afterschool. Sara I’m not sure what is happening but I have an awful feeling that she is in danger.”

“I’ll go check in on her. I trust you Ava. Teachers are usually the first to know when something is wrong in these situations,” Sara reassured.

“Thank you, Sara.”

“Of course. I’ll call you later.”

Once she hung up the phone, Sara informed Leo of where she was headed and he insisted on going with her. When she parked outside along the curb, the first things she noticed were two cars parked in the short driveway next to the house, which meant both parents were home. She made her way up the steps and knocked on the front door. Leo stayed at the bottom of the steps. No one answered so she knocked again. After a few moments footsteps approached the door and Sam Fields opened it slightly, his brow furrowed.

“Is there news about Henry?” he asked, motioning for his wife to join him at the door.

The stench of alcohol hit Sara hard as the two stepped into the doorway.

“No. I just wanted to stop by and check in. Have you had any other issues with your security system, or strange phonecalls?” Sara asked, taking in the way Muriell kept looking over her shoulder.

“No. Nothing like that. Thanks for dropping by Lieutenant,” Sam huffed.

“How’s Autumn doing? It can’t be easy for her. I remember the way kids talk, especially in high school,” Sara smiled, casually looking between the two of them to the spot where Muriell’s gaze kept going to.

She was looking towards the staircase where Sara could just see the outline of a door.

“She’s okay. Well as much as she can be. She’s upstairs doing homework right now,” Muriell explained, her gaze darting to the door again.

“Right. Do you mind if I speak with her?”

“What on earth for?”  
“I met her at the school assembly a little while back and she was asking me about some of the tech in my cruiser. I have a new piece of equipment I know she would love.”

“She’s busy right now, Lieutenant.”

“It would only be for a few minutes. You could come look as well.”

“No. Maybe another day,” Muriell said, her gaze going to the door again.

Sara’s gaze went to the door, but this time she saw the reason Muriel kept looking in that direction. On the outside of the door was a gold deadbolt.

“Mrs. Fields, why do you keep looking at that door?” Sara asked, moving closer, her features becoming stoic.

“No. No reason,” Muriell stammered.

“Oh. You wouldn’t mind me taking a look then.”

Leo moved closer. Sara smiled back at the two in the doorway, nodding towards the door. Muriell gulped and backed away, but Sam took a moved forward.

“I don’t think so. You people already tore my house apart once. Now my daughter is upstairs doing her homework and I think it’s time for you to leave,” Sam growled.

A thud echoed from inside the house and both Sam and Muriell turned to the door. Sara took a step forward, her body inches away from the man.

“I recommend you get out of my way,” Sara ordered, making the man falter momentarily.

Sam moved to push her back, but Leo stepped up between them and placed a hand on the man’s chest.

“I would take a step back sir, you wouldn’t want to do something you’ll regret later,” Leo warned, his voice like ice.

They both stepped out of the doorway and Sara made her way inside. She made a beeline to the wooden door and slid the lock back. Her heart pounded in her chest as she opened the door even though she was sure she knew what was on the other side. Autumn was sitting in the corner of the small closet. Her forehead rested against her knees and she was shaking. Angry red lines raced down the girls arms and bruise was slowly forming in the shape of a hand near her wrist. There was nothing else in the room save for a bucket wedged into a corner. On the inside of the door were long thin scratch marks, and indentations where a fist had banged against the inside of the door.

“I’m sorry. I know I’m not as good as Henry but I’ll try harder,” Autumn cried.

The girl looked up at Sara her eyes going wide before launching into the woman’s arms. Sara’s arms wrapped tight around her as she called for backup. Muriell sank down to the floor, angry tears streaming down her face. Her gaze connected with Autumn’s for a moment then moved up to Sara before leaning back against the wall. There was no lie that could get her out of this one.

Outside Sam tried to make a run for it, but Leo tackled him. Once he had him in handcuffs, he dragged Sam back to the porch and retrieved Sara’s cuffs to handcuff Muriell. The entire time Autumn held onto Sara for dear life.

“I’m right here,” Sara reassured holding the girl tight.

Backup arrived quickly, taking Muriell and Sam to the station for booking. Child protective services arrived soon after and Sara walked Autumn to the social worker’s car.

“What happens now? What happens to Henry?” Autumn asked, her voice trembling.

“We’ll do everything we can to find your brother and we’ll keep you safe. I promise,” Sara reassured.

Autumn nodded and hugged Sara tight again before getting back in the car. Once the car was out of view, Sara rejoined the officers gathering evidence from inside the house. This time she made sure that the entire house was searched thoroughly. They turned up more than enough evidence to prove the Fields’ were abusing their children.

Hours later the scene was clear and Sara made her way back to her cruiser. She sank down into the front seat, with a heavy sigh. Autumn was safe for now. That was the most important thing. They had potential new leads for the case. Sara leaned forward and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to make the headache go away. Ava. She called the taller blonde, hoping that despite the later hour she would be awake. She answered on the second ring.

“Hey. Is she okay?” Ava blurted out, she had been waiting for hours to hear any news.

“She’s okay. Her parents are in custody. Your gut was correct,” Sara sighed.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

“Like I said. Teachers are usually the first to notice. Listen I know it’s getting late but I was wondering if you would like to come over to my place. I think we could both use a drink.”

“Yeah. That sounds nice. Text me the address.”

“Sending it now. See you in…let’s say thirty minutes?”

“I’ll be there. Bye.”

Sara hung up the phone and made a quick pitstop by the precinct to check on the forensics from the car and get an update on Autumn. Autumn would be spending the night with a foster family and the courts would go from there. The forensics on the car weren’t finished yet, but Leo promised to drop them off once they were done. After filling out her paperwork and turning in her bodycam for the report on the Fields’ house, she headed for home.

Once she was there she raced upstairs to take the hottest shower imaginable before Ava arrived. She had stepped out of the shower and pulled on a pair of shorts and a tanktop when the doorbell rang. Ava Sharpe stood on the opposite side of the door carrying a box of pizza with a glass dish balanced on top. Sara felt her shoulders relax instantly.

“Hey. Come in,” Sara waved the taller blonde in.

Ava stepped into Sara’s home, immediately surprised by the interior. Pictures lined the walls along with medals from marathons and races. She followed Sara into the living room, trying not to focus on the way the woman’s still wet hair clung to the curve of her neck. Ava sat down the pizza and the dish as Sara bounded off to the kitchen to get glasses of wine and silverware. While she was gone Ava draped her coat over the back of the couch and looked over the pictures and paintings on the living room walls. The painting that caught her eye the most was off a young girl with startling blue eyes in the middle of a dark forest. Ava was staring at the detail of the picture when the pop of a cork alerted her to Sara’s return.

“Sorry. It’s just a really stunning painting,” Ava said, moving to sit down on the couch again.

“Thanks. I painted it about nine years ago,” Sara replied, handing Ava a glass of wine.

“You painted this. You are very talented.”

They sat down on the couch next to each other and clinked their glasses together. Sara leaned forward and pulled the top off of the dish. Steam rose from the mac and cheese and Sara had to admit that her mouth began to water.

“I brought mac and cheese because it’s my specialty and pizza because…pizza.”

Ava just smiled and watched as Sara picked up a fork and scooped up some of the pasta.

“This is amazing. I know you said you could cook, but this is really good,” she said through a mouthful of pasta.

Sara ate another few mouthfuls of pasta, and Ava picked up a slice of pizza. They clinked their glasses together and took a long drink of wine. For a little while they just ate and drank for a bit.

“Today was rough,” Ava sighed heavily.

“I can only imagine. Did you bring a copy of the paper Autumn wrote?” Sara asked, wanting to take care of the serious things first.

Ava handed her a copy of the paper and Sara glanced over it, her expression turning dark as she read. She sat it aside and finished her glass of wine before grabbing another.

“Thanks for inviting me over,” Ava smiled, taking another sip of her wine.

“Like I said, I figured both of us could use a relaxing moment…and a drink.”

“If you only knew.”

“Tell me.”

“Getting the GSA float ready for homecoming, preparing for academic team tryouts, dealing with the questions because of the Stalker,” Ava explained.

“Wait you’re the academic coach too? What all hats do you wear?”

“Let’s see. GSA sponsor, academic team coach, soccer coach in the spring, and I’m trying to become department head once Edwin retires.”

“Your students are lucky to have you.”

Ava smiled and unconsciously slid a little closer to Sara. Their thighs barely brushed as they settled in on the couch. Sara pretended to yawn and stretched her arm around Ava’s shoulder. She was rewarded with the infectious laugh that she loved so much. Ava sat down her wine glass and snuggled in closer to Sara. Sara’s gaze wandered down the line of Ava’s cheek and settled on her lips. Heat flooded through Ava’s body as Sara moved in closer.

“Can I kiss you?” Sara asked, leaning in a little closer, “I wanted to ask and I felt like with everything going on…”   
Her words were cut off as Ava surged forward, closing the space between them and capturing her lips in a deep kiss. Sara melted into the kiss her hand going to the back of Ava’s head to bring her impossibly closer. Ava sighed into the kiss, her tongue running along Sara’s lips. Sara opened her mouth and the kiss deepened even more. A shiver raced down Sara’s spine as Ava’s hands moved down her sides to her hips. A moan escaped from both of them as they refused to break the kiss. They finally parted, gasping for breath and smirking at each other.

“I needed that too,” Ava said, her lips ghosting against Sara’s again.

They were still making out when Sara’s doorbell rang again. She begrudgingly separated from Ava to answer the door. Before she could open it Leo stepped inside, dangling a key from his fingers.

“I came to drop off the files you wanted,” he said, his gaze going over to Ava on the couch.

He quirked an eyebrow at Sara, put the files in her hand and brushed past her despite the death glare she sent his way. Ava pushed down the laugh that almost broke free when she saw the look on Sara’s face. Leo sat down on the sofa next to Ava and picked up a fork.

“You dropped off the files,” Sara retorted, taking the fork before he could have a bite, “you can go now.”

“I haven’t seen Ms. Sharpe since the assembly. I thought we could catch up and she could tell me more about that handsome coworker of hers Gary,” Leo practically purred.

“Another time Leo.”

Leo rolled his eyes but stood and made his way towards the front door. Before he left he paused for a moment, making Sara almost run into him.

“Question. Am I still your plus one for the banquet on Saturday or is your new…friend taking my place,” he said pointing towards Ava.

“I hadn’t..” Sara stammered.

“I’ll be her plus one for the night Leo. You can take the night off,” Ava teased, causing Sara to turn beet red.

“Gladly. See you tomorrow Sara,” Leo waved, walking out the door and slamming it behind him.

Sara stood in front of the closed door for a moment. Her mind reeling from what just happened. Her father was the guest of honor at the annual Outstanding Citizens banquet on Saturday, but truth was she hadn’t intended on going. The Stalker was out there and the last thing she wanted to do was spend time away from her case and go to a black tie event. Slowly she turned and faced Ava, but was taken aback by the look on Ava’s face.

“I’m so sorry. I just invited myself. He said it and I thought if I said I was going with you he would leave us alone,” Ava stammered, mentally chastising herself for being so rash.

“If you really want to go and listen to my father’s glory days stories and have my mother analyze you, then you are more than welcome to come with me,” Sara sighed, picking up her glass of wine and downing the rest.

“Sounds like a date,” Ava smiled, finishing her glass of wine and pouring another for them both.

Later that night Sara sat on the couch, playing with Ava’s hair as the taller blonde slept. They had found a movie to watch, but Ava had dosed off ten minutes into the film. Ava had only woken up long enough to stretch out on the couch and place her head on Sara’s lap. Sara had lifted her up slightly and put a pillow underneath the taller blonde’s head. They were still in the same positions as the credits rolled on the movie. Sara gently shook Ava, but the woman only groaned and snuggled deeper into the pillow. She let her sleep for a few more minutes then eased her and the pillow fully onto the couch. Before heading to bed herself she put a glass of water on the coffee table, and pressed a kiss to Ava’s forehead before going to her room.

The next morning Ava awoke to a gentle shake to her shoulder. Her eyes flickered open and the first thing she noticed was the pair of brilliant blue eyes looking back at her. Sara was crouched down in front of her, her hair wild and framing her face like a mane. The smell of bacon and coffee drifted to her nose. Ava sat up, yawning and stretching. Suddenly it flooded back to her that she was still at Sara’s house. The screen on her phone lit up.

5:00 am

“I made breakfast,” Sara groaned, walking away from her and into the kitchen.

Ava stood, downed the glass of water from the coffee table and joined Sara in the kitchen. Sara motioned for her to sit at the small island in the kitchen, then sat a plate of food in front of her. At that moment Ava realized how hungry she was and eagerly began to eat. Sara stood on the other side of the island nursing a cup of coffee.

“Thank you,” Ava said, eating another bite of food.

“I hate everything right now,” Sara yawned, “I’d do it again for you.”

Warmth spread across Ava’s cheeks and she tried to disguise that she was blushing. A few minutes later Sara walked Ava out to her car and pressed a soft gift to her lips with a promise to call her later.


End file.
